I've tried Thai food for the first time properly, and it was lovely :D (I had Thai food once before, but I couldn't really eat much as I was hungover, and couldn't appreciate it!) This time I had vegetarian Phad-Thai in a kind of omlette at At Bangkok Cafe in Newcastle. We were there celebrating a friend's birthday, and I'd definitely go back again.

THE HOPPINGS!

I've lived here for 20 years, and never been. And I'm never likely to go again!

All I can say of it is that
there are a lot of fortune tellers with the surname Lee, and that the
Hoppings itself stinks. Literally. Of manure. And other less savoury
things. I spent a lot of time afterwards trying to get the mud, and the smell, out of
my boots. Dammit I should have remembered my wellies!

However, here's a nice picture I took of it a couple of days before I went.

The Hoppings, as seen from the flats up on Westgate Road

I've got a couple of other ideas for things to do for the Challenge; visit the Lit & Phil, which I hope to do tomorrow, and visit the Toy Museum in Tynemouth, as a friend has told me it is worth a look. I might try to do that on Saturday, as well as a trip to the Market :)

Another place that Mum wanted to visit was Mother Shipton's Cave & the Petrifying Well.

We had a lovely day, although it would have probably been better if we'd known in advance that all of the attractions were at the far end of the Beech Walk, as Mum wasn't really up to the long walk.

The Petrifying Well

The Wishing Well

I loved seeing the waterfall of the mineral rich water, as well as the 'Wishing Well', although the Cave itself seemed to be a trifle over-touristy for my liking. I bought a few trinkets in the gift shop, before we went for tea at the Lavender Room in "Ye Oldest Chymists Shoppe In England" where I had Lavender & Lemon Scones (I kid you not!) which were lovely :)

See, Lemon & Lavender Scones :D

Especially for Liz!
They had a Print Tray with things in from when the shop had been a Chemists, and the proprietor let me take some photos of it; here's the best one :D